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Ryanair in five year Morocco deal
Ryanair has sealed a deal with the Moroccan government to open 20 routes to the country carrying one million passengers a year in five years time.
The agreement with the no-frills carrier follows six months of negotiations and is designed to open up the North African country to more tourism.
But the move will be seen as a significant threat to established tour operators and charter airlines serving Morocco.
Under the deal, Ryanair will gain access to most regional airports in Morocco and in return has committed to opening up to 20 routes delivering one million passengers a year by the end of the five year period.
The airline has already announced services from Frankfurt and Marseille and will make many more route announcements, according to deputy chief executive Michael Crawley.
He said: “This represents a singularly important initiative in the developmentof tourism and business for the country.
“The government has recognised that low cost air access is a growth vehicle for tourism throughout Europe and by joining the open skies regime and embracing Europe’s leading low fares airline, the government in Morocco has made a clear statement about its intentions to develop its tourim industry in the next five years.”
Crawley added: “Ryanair’s commitment to establish up to 20 routes and carry close to one million passengers per annum on flights to Morocco is a vote of confidence by the airline in the excellence and attractiveness of Morocco as a destination both for weekend breaks, mid-week trips and longer holidays.”
The carriers’ low fares will also help ex-patriate Moroccans living in europe see the families more often, he said.
Report by Phil Davies
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